New story by "Dancing With The Pen II" Contributor Kevin Ham

Today we continue our Dancing With The Pen II blog tour with an exclusive extra story by young writer Kevin Ham, whose short story "Hot! Hot! Hot!" is featured in the book. Order a personalized copy of Dancing With The Pen II: a collection of today's youth writing here or on Amazon here.

The Story of a Basketball

By Kevin Ham

One day, the strangest thing happened: my basketball had a face on it! The ball started bouncing around. I put a basket in front of him. He jumped and landed right in the hoop! I tried bouncing him. I shot him, and he went in the hoop. The face disappeared. I set the ball down, and the face came back.

The next day, I went to the park with the strange ball. I went over to the basketball courts. Some teenagers were playing basketball. They laughed at me because they thought I was bad.

I would prove them wrong. I went all the way to the end of the court, and shot the basketball very softly. Surprisingly, the ball started arcing higher and faster, soaring all the way towards the hoop at the far end of the court. Then... swish!

The teenagers were shocked. Some of them had their mouths open. One said, "You're a legend!" Another asked, "Are you Stephen Curry?"

I became famous all around the world! The next morning, people were surrounding me. I said, "I only have time for one question. You. In the back."

"Is the ball super lightweight or something?"

"No, it isn't," I answered. "Do you want to carry it yourself and see?"

"Oh sure!" replied the man. I tossed the basketball to him and he said, "Yep, this is normal weight."

I went to the park to shoot some baskets, and everyone followed me. I thought it was pretty annoying. I shot and shot. I thought they would start getting bored, but more and more people kept coming. Soon news reporters showed up to talk to the crowd.

One audience member said, "I never saw him miss one."

Another person said, "He should join the NBA. He really should!"

I tried and tried to make my way home, but I couldn't escape through the mob of people. Finally, I slipped through some people's legs and got out. I ran as fast as I could to my house. I shut the door and caught my breath. I said to the basketball, "This was the worst day ever!" I ran around the house and shut every window and locked every door.

Then I plopped on my bed and hid the magic ball underneath it, way in the back. I guess being a regular basketball-playing kid is better than I thought it was!

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Kevin Ham is nine years old and goes to John Green Elementary School. He loves basketball and Minecraft. He lives with his mom, dad, grandma and sister. 

Links: 

Order Dancing With The Pen I & Dancing With The Pen II directly (personalized copies available!) or via Amazon.

If you have a few minutes and could write a review on Amazon, that would be fantastic!

You can also follow Dancing With The Pen on Facebook. We're featured on Goodreads, too!

Interview with "Dancing With The Pen II" Contributor Shane P.R. Carlson

Today we continue our Dancing With The Pen II blog tour with an interview with young writer Shane P.R. Carlson, whose story "Endwise Swan Song" is featured in the book. Order a personalized copy of Dancing With The Pen II: a collection of today's youth writing here or on Amazon here.

What would you like readers to know about you as an introduction?  

My name is Shane Paul Rockenstein (yes, that’s what the P.R. stands for) Carlson. I am 14 years old, going into my freshman year of high school, and I live in Camarillo, CA. I have many, many hobbies, some of which are playing piano, playing guitar, playing ukulele, playing harmonica, singing, acting, reading, watching (good) movies, swimming, golfing, playing hockey, and filming short films. In fact, I want to become a (film) director when I grow up.

Describe your piece or pieces that were published in Dancing With The Pen II.

It’s very funny how different my story is now than when I first wrote it. It was initially more of a horror story, but now it’s sort of like the movie “Stand By Me.” I got the idea from a story I heard on the Internet. My initial story was similar to the story on the Internet, and then I changed it and made it my own. My story was about two kids having a sleepover being haunted by someone in the forest nearby. I had to change it since it was a bit too dark. Just a wee bit.

Have you been writing for a long time? What do you like about writing?

I’ve been writing for a very long time. I used to write scripts for movies on my mom’s computer. I actually started writing more-or-less professionally in the fourth grade, when I was 10. I wrote a story about pirates. It was essentially Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl verbatim. I love writing because I love creating characters and stories and worlds. It’s amazing to see a story that I’ve written completed so others can see it and experience my creations.

What does it mean to you to have your piece included in this book? What was it like to get the news? 

This is my very first publication. I am so excited for people to read what I’ve written for the first time. Hopefully there will be many more stories of mine for people to read very soon! Getting the news was great. I was excited. I didn't really have time to do anything to celebrate, though, since I’ve basically been acting in show after show for the past three years.

Do you have any advice for other writers, or for other young people  going after their dreams?  

Just keep doing what you’re doing. If someone tells you, “You can’t be in the film industry! Don’t you realize how slim a chance there is for you to get in?” or something like that, just ignore it. Though it’s true that it’s hard to get noticed in an industry like the film industry, don’t let naysayers stop you from achieving your dreams. It’s like my mom says, “If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen.” Stephen Spielberg, one of the greatest directors of all time, got into the industry by staying in the bathroom during the bathroom stop on the Universal Studios tour (back when they had a bathroom stop). He then toured the lot and got a pass to do so for three days. He toured it all three days, and, when his pass expired, he found another person to give him a new one. He did this every day during the summer, then quit school and got a job at Universal.

Can you share a few of your favorite books or authors?  

I’ve been on a Stephen King kick lately. I’ve read tons of his books, my favorite so far being Misery. His books are dark, but I absolutely love horror. I guess you could say he’s my favorite author. To anyone who’s interested in reading his books, I’d recommend Carrie, Salem’s Lot, It, The Stand, and, of course, Misery.

What inspires you?  

Many things inspire me. Most of what inspires me comes from my life, but I combine what comes from my life with genres I’m interested in. My book about a boy who becomes a superhero was inspired by my love of Batman and a girl I liked. (Note: This was back in fifth grade.) Inspiration can come from anywhere, I believe.

What are you working on now? What’s next for you?  

I really want to finish editing my superhero book I mentioned previously soon. I’ve finished my first draft, and I’ve run into some trouble with editing. I’ve lost motivation, I guess. I let the book sit for a while, and now I think I’m getting my motivation back. This publication definitely has helped, as I now want to have more publications. Once I finish this book, I can move on to other projects, like an apocalyptic novel I’ve started.

Anything else you’d like to add? 

To my fellow writers: Keep at it.
To Dallas: Thank you for helping me for the past couple years. Here’s to many more to come.
To my family: Thank you for everything. I love you guys.
To everyone: Look out for my name, 'cause I’m going to be famous very soon. :)

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Shane P.R. Carlson has been writing since he was five. He always has ideas for stories, which he sometimes acts out with his Legos. He loves to write and hopes he can continue to throughout his life. 

Links: 

Order Dancing With The Pen I & Dancing With The Pen II directly (personalized copies available!) or via Amazon.

If you have a few minutes and could write a review on Amazon, that would be fantastic!

You can also follow Dancing With The Pen on Facebook. We're featured on Goodreads, too!

Guest post: Tips for Writing a Story

8 Tips to Start to Write a Short Story 

a guest post

by Julie Ellis

So, you want to be a writer, and the short story is your chosen genre. Actually, you are probably in a good spot, because it is often easier to get a short story published than a novel. Why? Because people still read magazines, either hard copy or in e-format, and the magazine publishing industry has adapted quite well to web-based publishing. Plus, so many of them are continually looking for good short stories to include in their issues. If you are new to this genre, but you have great ideas and stories to tell, then half of the work is already done! Your job now it to actually begin to write that first short story.

With that in mind, here are eight tips that a veteran writer can provide, that may make your task easier:

1. Write what you know firsthand: It is said that every piece of fiction, whether a short story or a novel, is a bit autobiographical. You must place your plot in a setting with which you are really familiar, or the events and the descriptions will not be credible. If, for example, you have no first-hand understanding of schools, you cannot set your story in a school, unless you are willing to do a lot of research. Such research should be reserved for novels!

2. Draw from real people as you develop your characters: The best way to have credible characters is to use aspects of personalities that you already know. Look to people with whom you have personal relationships. How do they behave? What excites or angers them? How do they speak? Most of my characters are combinations of people I know.

3. The Plot: I know that many writers spend a lot of time agonizing about setting up a conflict, a climax, and a denouement. What I have found in my own writing, however, is that these things really take care of themselves if I can outline a great plot, focusing on events and characters. Try it!

4. Don’t waste a word: A short story is really a fully condensed novel. You do not have the luxury of elaborate and lengthy descriptions, so don’t use them. Let the plot and characters “carry” the weight!

5. If your plot outline is not detailed, don’t worry about it – just write! I have often begun a short story with a simple idea for a starter, not even knowing where it would ultimately take me. I just start writing from that initial idea. No, it won’t be the final piece, but it will get my “juices” flowing, and I can always revise the storyline later. The key is to get something, anything, in writing, and then see where the idea can take me!

6. Carry a mobile device with you at all times. You never know when an idea will hit, and it is best to have an app that allows you to commit that idea immediately, for later use!

7. Read, read, and read: By reading lots of fiction, I get great ideas that may give me “fodder” for future stories. If you are not reading, you are not “percolating.”

8. Don’t “force” anything: It’s easy to become obsessed with getting a story completed, if only for the personal satisfaction of finishing something. This is a bad practice, and it results in stories that lack “flavor” and “engagement.” If you stall, let it be! I have a large number of short stories in folders on my desktop that are unfinished, and I’m okay with that. Someday, I’ll return to them, but the mood must be right!

Your love of writing is what has brought you to the point of writing short stories. Take any or all of these tips, if you find them helpful. Above all, however, find your own “voice.” Anything else is contrived and will not result in reader appeal.

Author’s bio: Armed with a Master’s in Journalism and strong wanderlust, Julie Ellis set out to explore exotic places, financed by her freelance writing. She is now a regular blogger for Premier Essay and sells feature articles to English-speaking publications around the world.

Interview with Erika Dreifus, author of Quiet Americans

I am so excited to have Erika Dreifus as a guest on my blog today! I first discovered Erika through her extremely helpful newsletter The Practicing Writer, and was blown away by her moving and beautifully nuanced collection of short stories Quiet Americans. I am delighted to have her here today to talk more about her fiction and her own writing journey.

Erika is the author of Quiet Americans: Stories (Last Light Studio), which is a 2012 ALA Sophie Brody Medal Honor Title for outstanding Jewish literature. Quiet Americans was also named a Notable Book (The Jewish Journal) and a Top Small-Press Book (Shelf Unbound). Erika is a contributing editor for The Writer magazine and Fiction Writers Review and an advisory board member for J Journal: New Writing on Justice, and she wrote the section on “Choosing a Low-Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing” for the second edition of Tom Kealey’s Creative Writing MFA Handbook (Continuum, 2008). Erika is also the editor/publisher of The Practicing Writer, a free (and popular) e-newsletter featuring advice, opportunities, and resources on the craft and business of writing for fictionists, poets, and writers of creative nonfiction.

Tell us about Quiet Americans. What was your inspiration/motivation behind this book? 

First, Dallas, thanks so much for your interest and for the opportunity to "meet" your readers. Quiet Americans is a collection of short stories. It’s a book of fiction, but most of the stories are inspired in some way by the histories and experiences of my paternal grandparents, German Jews who immigrated to the United States in the late 1930s, and by my awareness of this legacy.

How did you get started writing? 

I was a reader, first. An early and enthusiastic reader! Words, stories, and books simply grabbed me. My first bylined publications were brief poems that were published in my elementary-school newsletter. I haven’t stopped writing since then.

What is your writing process like? 

My process isn’t fixed. It can vary by genre or assignment, and it has definitely changed over the years that I’ve been writing (computers weren’t always an option!). These days, most of the writing I do these days is, in fact, on a computer. But sometimes I really enjoy returning to a notepad or notebook, especially if I’m working on a shorter piece or just beginning something new.

What are some of your favorite books? 

A few years after those poems were published in my elementary-school newsletter, I read Betty Smith’s classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn for the first time. That novel became and remains one of my favorite books. And I’ve studied French history and literature fairly extensively, so there are several French books—like Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary—that mean a great to me, too.

What is your biggest advice for young people reaching for their dreams? 

Don’t give up!

Erika has generously offered to give an ebook copy of Quiet Americans away to one lucky blog reader!! All you need to to do enter is leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random on Friday, August 17.

(The ebook will be through Kindle, but readers don't need to own a Kindle device to read Kindle e-books! http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=sv_kinh_1?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771)

Connect with Erika:
Erika loves to share writing resources with others. For starters, check out her Practicing Writing blog and Practicing Writer newsletter. Her website also features an extensive resources section. You can follow Erika on Twitter (@erikadreifus) or via Facebook (facebook.com/erikadreifusauthor).

Story Published!

Exciting news! My short story "Ten Reasons" has been published in the latest issue of Women in REDzine, a multicultural literature and art magazine out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Here is the beginning of the story to (hopefully!) whet your appetite:

Ten Reasons

by Dallas Woodburn

1. The lacy red panties she discovers wedged between the back left and middle seats of the Jeep Grand Cherokee while reaching down to yank out the seatbelt that always disappears into the crack between the seats. Abe usually drives the Jeep, but this is LeAnn's week to drive Miles and his friends to soccer practice, so he took the Prius instead.

Her breath catches at the feel of the cheap silk lewdness between her fingers. What a silly, stupid cliché. She manages to ball up the panties inside her clenched fist and slip them into her purse without Miles or his friends seeing them.


2. When she buys a new dress on sale at Macy's, with a low-cut neckline and a flattering belt that cinches at the waist, and she puts it on and saunters up to her husband, stretched out across the couch reading the newspaper, and asks, “How do I look?” with a coy smile on her lips, Abe glances up for only a moment before muttering, “Fine,” and turning back to the newspaper.


3. “What's wrong?” she asks on a Tuesday night during dinner, noticing how he picks at his food like a child.

He sighs. “Nothing.”

“Don't lie to me.”

“Your mashed potatoes,” Abe says. “They're too lumpy.”

“I made them the same way I've always made them.”

“Maybe you should add more milk,” he says. “Next time.”

* * *

You can read the rest here: http://www.fictionaut.com/stories/dallas-woodburn/ten-reasons

This story stemmed from a writing exercise I was given in my undergraduate workshop with Aimee Bender to write a narrative using a list format. It's a fun prompt to try -- I challenge you to do so!

Short Story Published in "Bartleby Snopes" Literary Magazine!

I'm very happy to share that my short story "DING!" has been published in the literary magazine Bartleby Snopes, and was selected as an "Editor's Pick" to appear in the forthcoming PDF printable magazine! You can read it this month online at http://bartlebysnopes.com/ding.htm. Here's the first couple paragraphs:

The old man baked bread every Wednesday. An early riser, he baked before the sun came up. Even before he did the crossword puzzle--in ink, for he's a brave soul--because he often baked before the newspaper arrived. 

He baked cinnamon bread. More like cake, actually. Flour, sugar, eggs, water, butter, and the secret "starter" ingredient of dough saved from last week's batch. Chocolate chips, sometimes, if he made it for the grandkids (which he usually did, considering he had nine of them.) Walnuts if he brought it to the office. Just plain for him, maybe an extra pinch of cinnamon--but he hardly ever made it just for himself. He could never finish a whole loaf before it grew dry and stale. And it seemed like such a waste to throw half a loaf away. His mother would have scolded him, just as she had when he was a boy during the Depression and didn't clean his plate.

"Eat your carrots, Ollie!" she would say. "Plenty of kids will go to bed hungry tonight and would give anything to have those carrots to eat. So be thankful! Wastefulness is a sin!"

"Cooked carrots are a sin," the young boy thought then and the old man thought now, stirring the thick batter with a wooden spoon. His arm muscles would ache by the time the batter was smooth and ready for the oven, but he still stubbornly mixed everything by hand. To do it any other way seemed like cheating.

Read the rest at http://bartlebysnopes.com/ding.htm.

Short Story Published in "The Green Silk Journal" Winter 2010 Issue!

I am excited to share with you that my short story "Click, Then Silence" is part of the Winter 2010 issue of The Green Silk Journal!

Here is an excerpt:

“I miss you,” I say. I don’t mean to; the words just tumble off my tongue, like pearls slipping off a broken necklace then spilling across the floor, a few caroming underneath the furniture. You can try to collect them all and string them back together, but you’ll inevitably be missing one or two.

The good thing about the phone is he can’t see me, can’t see the way I’m nervously twisting a strand of hair around my index finger, around and around and around, as if by doing so I can turn back time and take back those three little words I so carelessly threw at him.

My best friend Susanne says guys don’t like to have things thrown at them, even unexpected compliments; they like to work for it, or at least feel like they are working. I haven’t asked Keith if this is true, of course, but if I did I bet he would snicker, “Why do you always listen to Susanne?” I don’t think he likes my friends much, Susanne least of all.

I hear him breathing on the other end of the phone. Just soft breathing. The silence lingers, stretches, two breaths, three, five, and then he exhales an awkward little laugh and says, “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay, bye.” I wait a few more breaths – mine, one, two, four – until I hear the tiny click of him breaking away from me, and then I, too, hang up.

Read the rest at http://www.thegsj.com/storiespg2win2010.html
(Scroll down; my story is the second on the page.)

Write On! Contest Winners

We received more than 250 entries from all across the U.S., and even as far away as the U.K. and New Zealand! Thank you to everyone who entered, and congratulations to all our winners!

Short Story Contest

Middle School (6^th – 8^th grade):

1. Audrey Larson, "Tornado Watch"

2. Kienna Kulzer, "For The First Time in a Long Time"

3. Jesse Rubin, "Warrior"

H.M. Katelyn Larger, "My Old Dog"

H.M. Grace Euphrat Weston, "Rain"

H.M. Bernadette Augello, "The Familiar Stranger"

H.M. Zoe Appleby, "The Wolf's Defense"

H.M. Abigail Honaker, "Lightning Bugs"

H.M. Emily Saunders, "Anyone Can Make It"

H.M. Taylor Busse, "Socks"

H.M. Kendra Ellis, "Just Like That"

H.M. Josie St. Myers, "Wind"

High School (9^th – 12^th grade):

1. Emma Elisabeth Fosso McNairy, "Untitled"

2. Lucia Kemeng Chen, "Take My Hand"

3. Ioana Grosu, "Victory"

H.M. Danielle Lemmons, "Just One Day"

Poetry Contest

Elementary School (5^th grade and under):

1. Regina Vestuti, "The Accidental Valentine"

2. Juliet McLachlan, "Instructions for the landscape"

3. Sidney Hirschman, "I Live in Song"

H.M. Bethany Krupicka, "The Things You Say"

H.M. Emily Amaro, "Lightning Strikes"

Middle School (6^th – 8^th grade):

1. Zoe Appleby, "Horse of Stone”

2. Robyn Dickason, "Untitled"

3. Ivy Pike, "The Beach"

H.M. Kaylin Barr, "Quiet, But Determined"

H.M. Gianne Braza, "Nature's Beauty"

H.M. Madison Watkins, "Mom"

H.M. Austin Rogers, “All is Well”

High School (9^th – 12^th grade):

1. Mirriam Neal, "Pegasus and Bellaphon"

2. Kayleigh Sephton, "The Perfect Dance"

3. Emily Nelson, "The Silver Rose"

H.M. Anna Geare, "Beauty Through The Fall"

H.M. Emma Elisabeth Fosso McNairy, "Real"

H.M. Gillian Zia Rutherfod Wenzel, "The Blue Room"

H.M. Janelle Jewell-Roth, "Lápiz”

H.M. Leighton Suen, "I Let Go of You"

H.M. Cadie Underwood, "Without You"

H.M. Korina Chilcoat, "What Makes You Happy?"

Essay Contest

Elementary School (5^th grade and under):

1. Ninad Mahajan, "The Fantastic Trip"

2. Nicole Bellmore, "The Humpback Whale"

Middle School (6^th – 8^th grade):

1. Isabella Spaulding, "My Journey"

2. Stephanie Latos, "On Top of the World"

High School (9^th – 12^th grade):

1. Emma Elisabeth Fosso McNairy, "Untitled"